What are the most effective ways to use design thinking in your product design presentation?

If you haven’t already had the opportunity to connect with your “audience” and learn about their background, pain points & goals, spend some time researching your audience. This can be in the form of casual discussions with your peers on what is important to them, exploring a company’s internet presence & competitive landscape, looking up stakeholders on LinkedIn, or even obtaining in-depth user research. Understanding your audience will help foster empathy, allow you to cater to their point of view and prepare your presentation accordingly.

When presenting your work, it's best to understand who you'll be presenting to, what they are looking to understand, what will help them make a decision etc. This allows you to make your presentation valuable to them and deliver what you want them to understand most effectively. Once you know your audience and how to talk to them you can work out what detail is needed to get them on the same page. One way to do this is by explaining first the purpose, what you'll cover and your methodology and touch on the benefits of that method, before getting into the insights. Done well you have your audience engaged, it will speak to them, in their language and their ears will be open to the important things you have for their perspectives.

When I presented a new product interface to a mixed audience - some were tech-savvy, while others were less familiar with technology - I made sure to adjust the content. I focused on user-friendly aspects for those less tech-savvy and covered more technical details for the tech enthusiasts. This approach ensured that everyone found value in the presentation, boosting engagement and understanding for all. Adapting the content to suit different interests made the presentation more relatable and led to meaningful discussions about the product's design. This flexible approach, tailored to the audience's perspectives, significantly improved the effectiveness of the presentation in my role as a Lead Product Designer.

One time at work, we were tasked with redesigning a mobile application aimed at elderly users. Our initial design was sleek and modern, but after user testing, we quickly realized that our target audience valued larger fonts and more intuitive navigation over aesthetic appeal. We hadn't fully appreciated the extent of their unique needs. This was a pivotal moment that reinforced the importance of understanding our audience's specific challenges. We adjusted our design approach to include larger interface elements and clearer visual cues, which significantly improved usability for our users. It was a clear lesson in the value of empathy and user-centered design.

I agree with this, one thing I have also found helpful is the creation of contents tailored to your audience's culture. Culture is an integral part of any society. When you Infuse your audience's culture in your designs, you give them comfort and trust to try out your products.

The most powerful visual tool you can use while telling a story is to use slide titles that make statements. I don’t mean visual statements, I mean, literal “statements“ or sentences, Instead of the usual section titles. E.g. “we created 100 prototypes” vs the typical “prototypes” This leverages the most prominent text on your slide to tell a story.

Incorporating storytelling into product design presentations is a powerful strategy. By framing the presentation as a narrative, you can captivate your audience's attention and make your message more memorable. In a previous presentation, when unveiling a new product feature, I structured the presentation as a story. I began by illustrating the problem or challenge users were facing, setting the stage for the product's introduction as the hero solving these issues. Using relatable scenarios and real-life examples, I showcased how the product feature transformed these challenges into opportunities. This storytelling approach not only engaged the audience but also helped them emotionally connect with the product's purpose and benefits.

Storytelling is crucial for product design; it helps to create a connection between the product and its users. By weaving a narrative around the product, designers can effectively communicate its purpose, benefits, and unique features in a way that resonates with the audience. It helps to build an emotional connection with the users, making them more likely to engage with it and be early adopters of the product. A good and true story humanizes the design process, to create products that not only meet functional requirements but also emotional needs.

The way I approach a presentation to what my leave behind will be, how will it engage my customer and how my experience and narrative will flow with the presentation will be perceived and received. You want the presentation to provide the information the customer is looking for above and beyond expectations. And then provide a story that will flow with the presentation so your not reading the “book”, your providing interest and your leave behind is the details.

I think narrative and storytelling are a powerful tool to use when presenting features or discoveries. You can describe first the problem and the consequences of not acting, then talk about your proposal to solve it. I recommend to also use facts to show the examples, you can use design thinking to gather data and transform it into information that will make your case stronger. Use Personas to represent the users and build the story around them to show their actual problems.

A crucial aspect to remember with evidence is that it's all connected like a web. This allows you to trace it through a coherent path. Once you have that path that ideally drives your decisions, it becomes very easy to present that in a story. It can go something like.. we wanted to find out X, so we did Y, and we learnt Z. This led us to consider A and B options, we went we B because to get to the most suitable outcomes considering 1, 2, 3 factors we face. This chronological story really helps give an accurate picture of events, rationale and outcomes. Taking your story, you can add in the details such as analysis, statistics and insights and explain how those things lead to understanding and thinking at each stage.

People always belives on what they see, therefore you have to make them trust you and your work. Back up your claims with concrete evidence gathered throughout the design thinking process. Present user research findings, empathy maps, journey maps, and prototypes to demonstrate your understanding of the problem and the effectiveness of your proposed solutions. Quantify the impact of your design decisions whenever possible.

Presenting solid evidence is paramount. My approach, honed through years of experience in user experience design, involves showcasing comprehensive user research, personas, and journey maps. I emphasize how this evidence drove design iterations at H&M, ensuring every decision is backed by data. This builds credibility and trust with the audience, showcasing the thoroughness and reliability of the design process.

I think it is very important to be able to start showing the evidence from the beginning, in our case we do it with Strategy Workshops in which we align ourselves with both the client and its objectives, as well as with the users for the decisions that are going to be taken from there. If the design process is solid and is respected in all its stages, the evidence will be shown naturally in each decision taken.

The most powerful evidence is data-based, and user generated. This is a core reason that an agile team, especially within small-scale startup circles, must quickly build, deploy, and validate MVPs. The worst evidence you can have is that generated by your own team based on ill-conceived assumptions of what fits your potential users and the market niche they embody. The best evidence is always going to be happy users that clamor for more features.

Ever wondered how your favorite app features come to life? Let me spill the beans! In a recent presentation, I turned boring data into a thrilling story. User feedback became superhero tales guiding our design choices. I made dry insights pop and scream, "Our design rocks because it's based on real user needs!" Insights aren't just numbers, they're the secret sauce that makes our design recipe lip-smacking good! ????

Focus on showcasing the key insights gained from research and testing. Demonstrate how these insights influenced your design choices, underlining the value of your empathetic and creative approach for your audience.

Insights are the bedrock of effective design thinking. Drawing from my time at PayPal and my involvement with The Strategy Story, I focussed on unveiling key insights that influenced design decisions. This involves discussing user needs, behaviors, and motivations, and how they shaped the design strategy. Highlighting these insights demonstrates empathy and creativity, adding substantial value to the presentation.

One of the reasons that I'm such a strong advocate for community building around software products is that the best insights for what your team is supposed to build next typically comes from those users. To my mind, the worst way to run a product cycle is to assume that you and your team know best. You might get lucky, but you also might now. Ask your users. Interview them. Create a Discord. Talk to them on social networks. Understand their needs, create an open dialogue, and make sure that you REALLY KNOW.

The insights from a product presentation will serve as an argument to convince your audience. The research, target audience, market, trends stage is one of the most important phases and will help with stakeholder engagement and the future success of the product.

Engaging your audience by inviting feedback in product design presentations is like hosting a brainstorming party where everyone gets a voice. In a recent presentation, instead of a one-way dialogue, I turned it into an interactive conversation. I introduced moments throughout the presentation for Q&A sessions or quick polls, encouraging active participation. By inviting opinions and questions, I made the audience feel involved and valued. I didn't just present; I listened, learned, and adapted on the go. This approach not only empowered the audience but also provided valuable insights and fresh perspectives.

Un design ou un produit n'est jamais final. Nous avons l'habitude de présenter un produit final. Si c'est le cas, pourquoi recevons-nous des mises à jour chaque seconde pour des améliorations des applications qu'on utilise sur nos téléphones ? être à l'écoute de l'utisisateur est la fondation du design thinking et user based design.

When designing a product, we definitely seek to engage with the users or consumers to offer the experience they need. Product designs require we serve the purpose of satisfying a desire, offering help with a solution, and eventually creating a link between the design itself with its target demographic.

After giving the presentation we should be ready to answer questions of people and to hear feedback either positive or negative. Sometime we get to know a different perspective of user which will help us in may be creating a new feature in product or website

I always emphasize collaboration and iteration in design thinking. Inviting feedback is a practice I've consistently followed, whether at H&M or in my mentorship roles. Encouraging open-ended questions and actively listening to diverse perspectives not only helps refine the product but also fosters a sense of community and shared ownership among the audience.

In addition to these methods, I bring in examples from my past experiences, like my case studies on design thinking. These examples provide practical insights into applying design thinking in real-world scenarios. Continuous learning and adaptation are essential, as the design thinking process is dynamic and always evolving.